It’s Not a Weakness or a Diagnosis. So What Does “Highly Sensitive” Mean?
The orchid, which is especially stunning when it receives the special care it needs, has become a metaphor for a highly sensitive person (HSP).
When I first learned about the concept of a “highly sensitive person” or HSP, I was filled with excitement. It was like this was the piece of information that had been missing. And with it, my experience had a context and story that made so much more sense!
Here’s the gist:
Sensitivity is a genetic trait that runs on a continuum. Put simply, high sensitivity means that our nervous system takes in more information. (Think of a sophisticated instrument that picks up the most subtle feedback.)
According to the research, approximately 20-35% of people are “highly sensitive” or have Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS).* Within this group, there’s a lot of variation. For example, we may be introverted or extroverted, cautious or sensation-seeking (or somewhere in the middle)!
Yet, HSPs share some things in common. In 1997, after years of research, Psychotherapist Elaine Aron, PhD coined the term “highly sensitive person (HSP)” and proposed the acronym DOES to sum up our defining characteristics.
DOES Acronym: Characteristics of HSPs
D: Depth of processing
HSPs think about new information in complex ways. If you could read an HSP’s mind you may notice someone:
Considering new information from many perspectives,
Integrating disparate ideas,
Noticing patterns,
Making meaning,
Raising questions,
Looking for inconsistencies, and
Searching for possible creative solutions.
O: Overstimulation
Overstimulation occurs when our minds are overloaded by processing too much stimuli. Depth of processing, empathy, and feeling our own emotions deeply may also contribute to overstimulation.
Signs that you may be overstimulated include:
A “foggy mind,” difficulty thinking clearly or concentrating
Stress, worries, and anxiety
Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Irritability
Muscle tension
Digestive discomfort and/or headaches
Daydreaming about time on your own
As Dr. Aron notes, an HSP may perform especially well but feel more stressed than others, due to overstimulation.
E: Emotional reactivity or responsiveness and empathy
HSPs tend to experience more “vivid” emotions along the entire spectrum of feelings, from immersive awe in nature to deep grief and every other emotion in between. If HSPs notice that they are not feeling a particular emotion, such as anger, it may be a sign that there is protective strategy at play-- we can come back to that in later blogs!
When it comes to empathy, Dr. Aron explains, as opposed to guessing what others may be feeling, HSPs tend to feel others’ emotions, due to their active motor neurons (see Highly Sensitive Brains below).
S: Sensing the subtle
HSPs notice subtleties that others miss. While there may be some variation in which senses are strongest, it’s common for HSPs to notice, for example:
(In our surroundings)
Nuanced visual shifts (such as others’ eye or facial movements),
Background sounds or shifts in tone of voice,
Scents (which can be overpowering or delightful),
Layers of flavor,
Subtle shifts in a person’s behavior,
Underlying relationship dynamics and patterns,
(Or internally)
Layers of emotions,
Thoughts from many perspectives,
Subtle physical sensations or pain, and/or
Shifts in and out of mindful states.
As you may have guessed, nature and nurture affect how we experience our sensitivity.
Nature’s role in high sensitivity
From what we know, high sensitivity results from at least three sets of genes. (It seems that there was an evolutionary need for a minority of people to perceive subtleties, think from multiple perspectives, and help ancient societies thrive. And humans weren’t the only ones! Studies have found high sensitivity in a minority of animals within the same species.) Thus, HSPs are born with the capacity to be highly sensitive.
Highly Sensitive Brains
As Andre Sólo of the Highly Sensitive Refuge blog writes, functional brain imaging studies have discovered four noticeable differences in how highly sensitive brains work.
Our “mirror neurons are more active,” resulting in increased empathy.
The gene that amplifies emotions affects processing in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which means we consistently feel emotions more “vividly.” (By contrasts, others can feel vivid emotions but tend to do so only during especially intense moments.)
Our cingulate area and insula are more active, making us especially aware of and attuned to others (often to the exclusion of our internal experience).
For HSPs who are more cautious (remember that HSPs can be sensation-seeking), our brains are less sensitive to dopamine, making us less motivated by external rewards and perhaps, partially explaining why we tend to be more motivated by purpose or meaning.
Nurture’s role in high sensitivity
When our needs are respected (by our parents as children, and by ourselves and loved ones as adults), our sensitive strengths help us to thrive. The research shows that HSPs’ vantage sensitivity magnifies our positive responses to positive environments.
Thriving as an HSP can look like…
Confident, calm and compassionate presence
Deep joy, awe, wonder, and gratitude in experiences
Fulfilling, deep, and playful relationships
Attuned and connected parenting
Excellence in meaningful careers
When our supports are missing or insufficient, we are more prone to feel the challenges of the trait, due to our differential susceptibility (meaning we’re more affected by both negative and positive environments).
HSP Challenges can look like…
Overstimulation (and the ways it shows up: worries, anxiety, irritability, difficulty sleeping, digestive discomfort, headaches, etc.)
Perfectionism (which can lead to fatigue, burn out and emptiness and prevent HSPs from taking necessary risks, contributing to feeling behind or small)
Loneliness or feeling misunderstood or out of synch with our fast-paced society
All of these can aggravate self-criticism (“Why can’t you handle this?!”) and low self-esteem.
Take-aways for HSPs
Likely, we experience a mix of HSP strengths and challenges. Given our fast-paced, stimulating Western society, it can be easy to overlook our real needs, compare ourselves to others who are wired differently, and assume something is wrong with us. The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with us, and luckily, once we know about our sensitivity, it can help us. Even if our past relationships fell short, our sensitivity can help us attune to our inner knowing, integrate therapy, and create conditions to thrive.
Would you like a clearer picture of how your sensitivity shows up? You may enjoy the next blog.
If you’d like some support in working with your sensitivity, let’s connect! We’ll discuss what you’re looking for and whether I may be a good fit for virtual therapy.
*High Sensitivity Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is different than Sensitivity Processing Disorder (SPD), in which the brain has difficulty organizing sensory input and may result in over and/or under sensitivity to the sensory stimuli.
This website and blog are intended for your curiosity, exploration and reflection. They are not intended to diagnose or be a substitute for therapy or medical care. If you are experiencing a psychiatric emergency call 988 (in the United States) or go to your nearest emergency room and ask for the psychiatrist on call.